Metal Pollution Assessment in the Soil and Surface Water of Alibaug Mangrove Forest, Maharashtra, India

The heavy metals from the soil and surface water of the mangrove forest of Alibaug, Maharashtra, India were estimated by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The samples were collected from eighteen sites, fifteen from the mangrove area and the rest from Akshi beach along the coast of the Arabian Sea. The concentration of the heavy metals in the surface water was found in the order Co > Cd > Cu > Ni > Cr. It was found that the concentration of Cd and Co in the water samples exceeded the standard levels which are prescribed by BIS, WHO and US EPA. Enrichment factor values showed moderate enrichment for Cu and Co and high enrichment for Cd due to anthropogenic sources. Contamination factors (CF) gave values indicating moderate contamination by Cu and Co, and very high contamination by Cd. Variation maps revealed that the study area ranged between the PLI value of 0.5-1 and 1-1.5 in the surface and depth soil respectively, indicative of higher pollution by heavy metals in the depth soil. It was found that there was no pollution due to Fe, Cr, and Ni in the study area while the surface water and soil were moderately polluted by Cu and Co and highly polluted by Cd

کلیدواژه ها:

Alibaug mangrove forest ، Contamination factor ، Enrichment factor ، Geo-accumulation Index ، Heavy metal ، Pollution load index ، Surface water and soil